West Ham want to sign Ward-Prowse and Barnes, as Rice’s departure seems imminent

Author: Soorya G

West Ham United, winners of the Europa League Conference, are already preparing possible replacements for the imminent departure of club captain Declan Rice. The England midfielder has been linked with a move away from the club for two years, but the board managed to hold on to the player, which paid off considering that the Hammers have just won their first European trophy in over half a century. Rice has also been extremely cooperative with the club, agreeing to stay for the last two seasons despite concrete interest from bigger clubs.

Rice is believed to be Arsenal’s top priority, as they are willing to spend around 90 million for the player. The Englishman has expressed his admiration for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta on several occasions, calling him a “great soccer mind”. Currently, several clubs besides Arsenal are interested in signing the player, including Chelsea, Manchester United and even Bayern Munich.

Bayern see Rice as a potential replacement for Joshua Kimmich, who was recently linked with a move to Barcelona, while Chelsea are in the midst of another major overhaul. The Blues are currently negotiating the transfer of Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City. However, the player himself is said to be interested in moving to the Emirates, and a deal is expected to be struck once Granit Xhaka’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen is completed.

Meanwhile, West Ham are looking for several replacements, including Harvey Barnes of former Premier League champions Leicester City and James Ward Prowse of Southampton. The Hammers expect to receive a large sum of money from Rice’s departure and want to strengthen several positions. David Moyes is also interested in bringing in Edson Alvarez from Ajax, who is also being linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund. An intriguing summer window is expected at West Ham, with the arrival of several players.